Crop and pasture protection

Associate Professor Jason Condon

BAgrSci(Hons) LaTrobe, PhD CSturt

Jason is a practical soil science researcher with an interest in real world soil issues, communicating an understanding of agronomically relevant soil mechanisms to end users, and raising the awareness of soils within the broader community. Having grown up on farm in southern NSW, he went on to complete his B Agric Sci (Hons) at LaTrobe University where he studied acid soil amelioration methods in his Honours year (1995), conducting that research at Wagga Agricultural Institute. Jason then completed his PhD on acidification mechanisms in pasture systems in 2002 at CSU.

Jason has taught soil science related subjects at CSU since 1996 and has built a research profile relevant to agricultural production with projects covering salinity, soil carbon and greenhouse gas emissions, fertiliser efficiencies and acid soil management. He created the opportunity to work at Can Tho University (CTU), Vietnam as a Visiting Research Fellow in 2006 and this collaboration has led to many teaching and research activities with CSU and CTU since that time, including staff and student exchange and ACIAR funded research projects relating to climate change in Vietnam. Since 2018 he has been contracted to lead acid soil research with NSW DPI whilst performing his other teaching and research duties at CSU

Jason teaches in soils related subjects. After completing his Teaching Fellowship in 2002 he has taught Soil Science and Soil Management subjects at CSU. Jason has excellent linkage with people in the agricultural industry, many of which are CSU alumni that he has taught over the years. Jason works with these linkages to stay connected with current industry advisors, allowing real issues to be the focus of content covered in classes and ensuring solutions generated by his research are integrated into material taught at CSU.

To help students develop an understanding of the more complex and dynamic concepts relating to soil chemistry he assisted Associate Professor Scott Black (CSU) in the writing of the e-textbook “STute: Tutorials in Soil Science”, a computer aided learning package (ISBN: 978-0-646-90366-8).

Jason has extensive experience in postgraduate supervision with 6 PhD, 1 MSc, and 16 Honours completions in soil, crop and pasture related projects.

Jason has established industry recognised expertise in soil acidification and acid soil management within Australia. He has attracted funding from Meat and Livestock Australia, Grains Research and Development Corporation, Farming Systems Groups via Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and NSW DPI to conduct research related to acid soil management.

Jason has had several Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research funded grants to lead research and extension activities in Vietnam relating to soil nutrition and crop production. His international collaboration has included provision of Australian soils expertise to global greenhouse gas emission projects.

In addition to formal publication, Jason is heavily involved in extension activities with land managers and advisors, sharing recent findings of his research conducted in collaboration will leading farming systems groups and colleagues from NSW DPI.